The saga up to Bukit Saga...

Many people go places just to get the adrenaline flowing and to get away from it all - Away from the hustle and bustle of the city and away from the annoying ring tones of the ever buzzing mobile phones (cannot live with it, cannot live without it). With the convenience of the cell phone, things that can wait till tomorrow suddenly becomes life threatening and need to be done on the double! So, locking the phone and being closer to nature undisturbed (except for chirping birds and chattering monkeys among others) is simply rejuvenating and therapeutic as well.

Taking a breather en route to the summit

Last Sunday, the running kakis (buddies) decided to go the whole nine yard during our trekking. Once in a while, we used to climb the hill just behind our housing estate. It is one of the last remaining green belt still left in the city of Kuala Lumpur. It was actually bigger till the last ruling party decided to re-gazette a part of previously designated forest reserve. It is part of the main range of mountains that form the spine of the peninsular of Malaysia. We normally do a 1 and half to 2-hour route up the hills and back but this time we did a full 3-hours'trip.
The trail took us along a winding ascending track paved by roots of tropical trees which in turn gives a cool shady environment even at 3 pm in the afternoon. In spite of this, we were all perspiring like pigs as the path took us over 5 or 6 hills. The path is quite a hit amongst many local exercise buffs and is a haunt on every weekend. Members of various Hash House Harriers (HHH) groups would roam these terrains like the back of their hands and actually set up markers along the way so that novice climbers would not go astray. Despite all these, you still have jokers and smart alecs getting lost for a day or so before search parties discovered them. These people start their journey later in the evening when visibility is an issue.

Everybody has a different name for the hill - probably so because it is over many hills - Bukit Apek for the earlier hill nearer to our Taman to Bukit Saga to Gunung Nuang right on top. There are many make shift tents along the way to rest the tired  legs. There are 6 levels of climb but it does not depict the difficulty of the climb as a climber can pick and choose the plethora of trails available to be tailor made to his level of endurance and availability of time.

Our walk (climb) past the 6 levels and landed us at Bukit Saga. It was a gruelling 3-hour satisfying exercise. Along the way, besides enjoying the peace and serenity of Mother Nature, we were feasted to the sight of foamy white splashing waterfall with its hypnotising rhythmic beat of water on the hard granite rock. As we approached Bukit Saga, we noticed that the vegetation somehow appeared greenier and fresher than what we usually saw on the flat terrains as the air here was damp and cooler.
About half an hour before our destination, we stopped at a big shed set up by ardent climbers. It is called 'Communist Village'. It does not live up to its name as it is not a village at all - nobody stays there! It is probably named so as it is self-sufficient - cooking utensils, clean stream and underground water, toilet facilities (the traditional type), trappings for fresh water fish as well as the yearned peace and quiet to enjoy their alcoholic poison.

At the Communist Village out in nowhere!

Reaching the summit was not half the fun trying to reach there.

Coming back was an easier task as we took an alternative route which was shorter and less gruelling. A good  evening of satisfying clean, healthy and guilt-free fun.

Bukit Saga - Mission accomplished!